2026 Speakers
Our 2026 Lineup
Dr. Jonathan Moch
Senior Advisor for Climate and Energy Policy in the Office of North Carolina Governor Josh Stein
Keynote Speaker, Summit
Chris Michaels
WRAL Meteorologist
Emcee, Summit
Heather Beard
Executive Director, EarthShare NC
Moderator: Beyond the Business: How Companies Show Up for Communities
Summit Moderator: Purpose in Partnership: How Companies and Communities Come Together to Create Change
Nicole Pennington
Enterprise Solutions Director, Xylem
Summit Presenter: Purpose in Partnership: How Companies and Communities Come Together to Create Change
Ana Fernandez
Director of Environmental Affairs,
Coca-Cola Consolidated
Presenter: Beyond the Business: How Companies Show Up for Communities
Hillary Gray
Director of Innovation,
Trane Technologies
Summit Presenter: Powering the Digital Economy: Data Centers and Their Growing Impact on North Carolina
Brittany Moore
Executive Director, Philanthropy and Community Impact, Wells Fargo
Presenter: Beyond the Business: How Companies Show Up for Communities
Caroline DeLoach
Director of Sustainability,
Atlantic Packaging
Presenter: Extended Producer Responsibility: Lessons from a Landmark Filing Season
Presenter: Climate Hack: Reduce Food, Plastic, and Material Waste at Home
Christine Wittmeier
Organics Recycling Team Lead, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service
Presenter: Climate Hack: Reduce Food, Plastic, and Material Waste at Home
Claire Rapp
Salt Marsh Campaign Coordinator, North Carolina Coastal Federation
Presenter: Closing the Equity Gap in NC Climate Work
Daniel Pate
Director of Engagement, North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association
Presenter: Master Your Home Energy Use: From Reading Utility Bills to Solar Savings
David Campbell
US Sustainability Tax Technology Leader, EY
Presenter: Extended Producer Responsibility: Lessons from a Landmark Filing Season
Delphine Sellars
Executive Director, Urban Community AgriNomics (UCAN)
Moderator: Closing the Equity Gap in NC Climate Work
Dr. Kevin Kroeger
Senior Fellow, Marine Biogeochemistry, Silvestrum Climate Associates
Presenter: Why North Carolina Salt Marshes Are More Valuable Than You Thought
Emily Neville
Director of Business Development, Greenplaces
Presenter: AI in Sustainability: Control and Communicate
George Germany
Manager of Subcontractor Relations, Turner Construction
Presenter: Beyond the Business: How Companies Show Up for Communities
Graham Alexander
Lead Solar Designer and Co-Owner, Southern Energy Management (SEM)
Presenter: Master Your Home Energy Use: From Reading Utility Bills to Solar Savings
Jackson Lessnau
Analytical Consultant, Sustainability, SAS
Presenter: Charging Ahead:
EV Infrastructure at Home, Work, and Across Our Communities
Jacob Boyd
Salt Marsh Program Director, North Carolina Coastal Federation
Presenter: Why North Carolina Salt Marshes Are More Valuable Than You Thought
Jamie Simon
Sr. Director of Sustainability and Growth, Clearyst
Presenter: Extended Producer Responsibility: Lessons from a Landmark Filing Season
Jeffrey Robbins
Executive Director, CleanAIRE NC
Presenter: Closing the Equity Gap in NC Climate Work
Jerry Carey
Market Intelligence Specialist, North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association
Presenter: Master Your Home Energy Use: From Reading Utility Bills to Solar Savings
Kara Solomon
Conservation Manager, North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF)
Presenter: Gardening for Wildlife in a Warming World: How to Support Climate Resiliency Through Sequestering Carbon
Katherine Koonce
Engagement and B Corp Lead,
Southern Energy Management
Presenter: Master Your Home Energy Use: From Reading Utility Bills to Solar Savings
Kennedy Williams
Environmental Justice Manager, CleanAIRE NC
Presenter: Charlotte’s Giving Trees: Investing in Your Urban Canopy
Lisa Harkema
Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC)
Summit Presenter: Navigating the Emotional Landscape of Climate Work: Understanding Climate Emotions and Cultivating Resilience
Matt Abele
Executive Director, NCSEA
Summit Moderator: Powering the Digital Economy: Data Centers and Their Growing Impact on North Carolina
Meech Carter
Clean Energy Campaigns Director, North Carolina League of Conservation Voters
Presenter: Closing the Equity Gap in NC Climate Work
Matt Schuneman
Senior Program Manager, Carolina SURE
Summit Presenter: Stories from the Field: How Climate Projects are Getting Funded
Dr. Melody
Hunter-Pillion
Interim Director, Southern Oral History Program at UNC Chapel Hill and Correspondent for PBS NC
Summit Presenter: Climate Work is Heated. Stories Bring Down the Temperature.
Michelle Marks
Founder of Ideas on Purpose
Presenter: AI in Sustainability: Control and Communicate
Molly Hemstreet
Executive Director, Industrial Commons
Presenter: Climate Hack: Reduce Food, Plastic, and Material Waste at Home
Nathan Silvernail
Co-Founder & CEO, Plantd
Summit Presenter: Purpose in Partnership: How Companies and Communities Come Together to Create Change
Ned Fernandez
Vice President and Strategic Resilience Practice Lead, ICF
Presenter: From Recovery to Resilience: Supporting Communities in North Carolina
Page Turner
Conservation Manager, North Carolina Wildlife Federation
Presenter: Gardening for Wildlife in a Warming World: How to Support Climate Resiliency Through Sequestering Carbon
Paula Hemmer
NEVI Project Manager, NC Department of Transportation
Presenter: Charging Ahead:
EV Infrastructure at Home, Work, and Across Our Communities
Pete Stuart
Sr. Managing Director, Impact, NASCAR
Summit Presenter: Purpose in Partnership: How Companies and Communities Come Together to Create Change
Riley McNulty
Regional Sales Manager, Blue Whale EV
Presenter: Charging Ahead:
EV Infrastructure at Home, Work, and Across Our Communities
Dr. Robyn Byers
Assistant Director, Office of Sustainability & Resilience, City of Charlotte
Moderator: Charlotte’s Giving Trees: Investing in Your Urban Canopy
Rowan Parris
Regional Sustainability Manager, Turner Construction
Summit Presenter: Powering the Digital Economy: Data Centers and Their Growing Impact on North Carolina
Ryan Mathes
Municipal Arborist Planting Specialist, City of Charlotte
Presenter: Charlotte’s Giving Trees: Investing in Your Urban Canopy
Samantha Loprinzo
Director of Strategic Resilience, ICF
Summit Presenter: Stories from the Field: How Climate Projects are Getting Funded
Sofya Olenicheva
Senior Policy Manager, Plug In America
Moderator: Charging Ahead:
EV Infrastructure at Home, Work, and Across Our Communities
Tara Moonan
Director of Sustainability North America, Electrolux
Presenter: Extended Producer Responsibility: Lessons from a Landmark Filing Season
Tara Moore
Tree Canopy Programs Manager,
City of Charlotte
Presenter: Charlotte’s Giving Trees: Investing in Your Urban Canopy
Matt Collogan
Area Natural Resources Agent, NC Cooperative Extension
Presenter: Gardening for Wildlife in a Warming World: How to Support Climate Resiliency Through Sequestering Carbon
Rachel Strong
Americas Sustainability Tax Policy Lead, EY
Presenter: Extended Producer Responsibility: Lessons from a Landmark Filing Season
William Munn
Principal, The Alluvial
Summit Presenter: Stories from the Field: How Climate Projects are Getting Funded
Steven Lucente
Director of Business Development, Datacenters, Xylem
Summit Presenter: Powering the Digital Economy: Data Centers and Their Growing Impact on North Carolina
Dr. Olga Hawn
Associate Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, Faculty Director of Ackerman Center for Excellence in Sustainability, UNC Chapel Hill
Presenter: How to Measure Your Carbon Footprint: A Practical Guide to Scope 1, 2, and 3 Emissions
Frank Muraca
Senior Analyst of Policy Research and
Data, Power Brief
Summit Presenter: Powering the Digital Economy: Data Centers and Their Growing Impact on North Carolina
Jeffrey Mittelstadt
Professor of the Practice and Executive Director, Ackerman Center for Excellence in Sustainability
Presenter: Getting Creative and Collaborative to Attract More Funding
Damon Lim
Research Associate, Data Driven EnviroLab at UNC-Chapel Hill
Presenter: Beyond “Greenslop”: Building Better AI for Climate Decision-making
Dr. Angel Hsu
Associate Professor of Public Policy and the Environment, Ecology and Energy Program (E3P), UNC-Chapel Hill and Founder/Director, Data-Driven EnviroLab
Presenter: Beyond “Greenslop”: Building Better AI for Climate Decision-making
Annie Williams
Clinical Assistant Professor of Marketing, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
Presenter: Communicating Sustainability Value: A Practical Marketing Workshop
Carri Reisdorf
Clinical Associate Professor of Marketing, UNC Kenan-Flagler
Presenter: Communicating Sustainability Value: A Practical Marketing Workshop
Karim Olaechea
Deputy Director of Strategy and Communications, MountainTrue
Presenter: From Recovery to Resilience: Supporting Communities in North Carolina
Chris Joyell
Healthy Communities Director, MountainTrue
Presenter: From Recovery to Resilience: Supporting Communities in North Carolina
Marguerite Murray
Managing Partner, Samasta and Business Sustainability Roundtable Lead for the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce
Moderator: AI in Sustainability: Control and Communicate
Vrushali Sawant
Data Scientist – AI Ethics, Governance and Social Impact team, SAS
Presenter: AI in Sustainability: Control and Communicate
Eric Henry
CEO, TS Designs
Moderator: Climate Hack: Reduce Food, Plastic, and Material Waste at Home
Joshua Humphreys
President, Croatan Institute
Summit Moderator: Stories from the Field: How Climate Projects are Getting Funded
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